Scendi?

Ciao!

As the weeks pass, I am running out of city-appropriate superlatives to use to describe Rome.  I know this line is on repeat, but the city truly does amaze me everyday!  This week I had a lot of everyday thingsto take care of--going to a cobbler to fix my shoes that the cobblestones are destroying, going to the drycleaner, echetera, echetera (this is how Italians pronounce "etc", and I love it), which normally would not be anything to take note of.  But, because I had to figure it all out in Italian, running errands became little adventures filled with mispronounced words.  Luckily, everyone is very patient with my Italian!

I also discovered this week, belatedly, that designers such as Prada and Gucci were participating in the semi-annual sales that have been going on around Rome since early January, offering MASSIVE discounts.  Unfortunately (fortunately), the sales ended on Wednesday.  I have taken note of this fact for the next round of sales in June!

This weekend a friend and I headed to Tivoli, a town that has been a vacation getaway for Romans including Julius Caesar and the Roman Emperor Hadrian.  We saw the ruins of Villa Adriana, Emperor Hadrian's palatial countryside retreat (compared to the likes of Versaille) and the amazing Villa d'Este, which was home to an exiled Roman cardinal. E'stata una bella giornata!

What is left of Villa Adriana which was built back around 120 A.D!

Audio guide!

Tivoli was very kind to put directional signs everywhere, however, we still could not find Villa d"Este.  We kept walking back and forth between two directional signs that pointed the opposite direction, we knew it HAD to be somewhere in the middle...oh my. 

Once we found it--Villa d'Este. 

So many fountains!

La dolce vita!

Ciao!
Il tempo vola!  This week was really busy, lots of work, pizza and appertivi!  A friend took me to a pizzeria, Dar Poeta, where I had the best pizza I have ever tasted.  When you all come to Rome, to visit me or otherwise, you must go!  Also this week, my Canadian friends threw a Quebecois Carneval party, so I had a taste of North America with poutine and a drink called Caribou (so Canadian, eh?).

In honor of Valentine's Day, I went to the Ciocciolentino Festival in Terni, a quiet little town about an hour outside of Rome.  All of the best chocolate makers from around Italy were there with amazing chocolate displays. Certo, I stocked up on lots of delicious chocolate!  I also had some adventures there...I recently commented to a friend that I had yet to encounter the "aggressive" male Italian, you know, the ones who supposedly chase you down the street telling you how beautiful you are.  WELL, Terni was FULL of them.  It was rather shocking actually, and reminded me of the scenes from movies where you literally have to run away!  (Not as scary as it sounds, it was daylight and there were tons of people around).   I guess I am now truly getting the Italian experience...which included me yelling "BASTA!!" "ANDARE!!."

Today, I wandered around Rome, did some shopping and soaked up the sun!

The Spanish Steps.  Look familiar? 

Apparently, the Spanish Steps, now always packed, became a popular destination after the movie, Roman Holiday.  This is where Gregory Peck's character lived and the address that Audrey Hepburn sleepily/drunkenly gave to the taxi driver is now an incredibly expensive hotel! 

Piazza Venezia

At my work party this week, we talked about Rome's constant struggle with graffiti.  In my co-worker's opinion, graffiti is destroying the city--I think this is kind of interesting, though.

Chocolate from Perugia, Italy's chocolate capital! 

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  Baci e abbrachi da Roma <3

Come si dice?

Ciao!
It is almost impossible to believe that I have been in Roma for a month now.  It feels both like I just arrived, and like I have lived here forever. I realized just how quickly I have acclimated when I was crossing the street the other day.  Crossing the street is much like playing a game of Frogger or maybe even Chicken. The cars never stop, but rather swerve around you as you walk across.  I didn't realize this my first week here and so, I kept waiting for cars to stop and let me cross.  They never did.  But now, I cross with ease, barely even noticing the chaos!

I have also taken on the strategy of asking "Come si dice?" about everything that I don't know how to say in Italian (in other words, EVERYTHING), to improve my vocabulary.  So far, it has been very effective :-)

This weekend was gorgeous, sunny and warm.  I headed out to explore Villa Borghese, a park in the center of Rome.  I rented a bike and so was able to see the entire park.  It was absolutely beautiful!  On Sunday, a friend and I attempted to go to a calcio match to watch Lazio play.  My Roma-fan friends mislead me into believing that no respectable Roman was a Lazio fan and therefore, tickets would be easy to acquire.  But, actually, there are quite a few Lazio fans and unfortunately when we got to stadio olimpico, the game was sold out!  Next time!

I finished off the weekend with an impromptu night walking tour with my Roman friend. He showed me all of these amazing hidden piazzas, fountains and churches and then we ended the tour at an fantastic enoteca in Campo.  E' stato molto bello!!

Il week-end perfetto!

Villa Borghese

A Roman drinking fountain...looks kinda of sketchy, BUT the water is clean and cold! 

We supported Lazio by drinking Peroni while sporting Lazio gear!  Better than actually going to the game? 

Weekend in Firenze!

Ciao!

Time is flying here in Rome, and another amazing week has passed.  A few highlights--I started my two-a-week lunch hour Italian lessons, so my Italian is improving and fast!  I was even able to have a (friendly) argument with a bus driver and basically knew what he was saying.  I had a great great great meal at a restaurant in my neighborhood with some amazing Italians, and even gave in to eating prosciutto! The vegetarian concept is unknown to Italians, and bizarre to a Roman. Plus, I figured...while in Rome... :-)

And, reason number 346 why I love living in Rome...weekend trips to amazing places!  This weekend a friend and I headed off to Florence!  It was cold and rainy, but it was still amazingly beautiful.  The city is filled with history and culture--some fun facts I picked up this weekend--the Italian language was born in Florence, the Medici family was terribly cruel and brutal yet, had great taste for commissioned art, and real leather doesn't burn.  I saw Michaelangelo's David (breathtaking), the Uffizi museum, climbed up the Duomo, bought some leather goods (ok...lots), learned about Tuscan wine and a Florentine's love of everything beef.

The Duomo

View of Florence from the top of the Duomo.

Me on Ponte Vechhio

Ponte Vecchio

Night out at the enoteca--learned lots about Tuscan wine and cheese pairings.  Yum. 

Sticazzi!

Ciao!
Another week has passed...and so quickly!  I am definitely settling in, and have made myself very at home in Testaccio.  I even have a buddy at the bread shop on my corner who pops out to say "Ciao!  Come stai??" every time I walk by! So friendly, these Romans.  I've been warned that my enthusiasm for this city will chill soon, but for now...I seem to love it more every day.

Where else can you walk by the site where Julius Caesar was killed on the way to Italian lessons?!  It seems at every turn there is something incredible to see.

Work is picking up, and I am quickly becoming the resident expert on disciplinary cases and hearings.  So, I am getting lots of cases with juicy and interesting details!  Despite that, I still managed to leave work everyday by 5:30 pm to head out to my new favorite thing-- un aperitivo.  An aperitivo is basically happy hour in Rome, except every drink comes with access to a snack bar which includes a variety of Italian snacks!

Today, it was a cold and rainy day here in Rome so, I headed to the Vatican museum.  I also saw St. Peter's Basilica and finished off my day by sharing some arancinis (yum) and gelato with a friend.  Overall, another great week!

One of the many amazing Greek/Roman sculptures in the Vatican museum.

The Locoon- apparently the most famous Greek statue in Rome and considered"superior to all other sculpture or painting"--I guess it was pretty good... :-)

St. Peter's Basilica

View from the cupola of St. Peter's Basilica.  I had to climb approximately 5,000 stairs to get to the top (ok, maybe more like 500, but it seemed like a lot!), but it was worth it.  So pretty!

View of Rome.  This picture doesn't even do it justice.

A dopo! 

Il mio appartamento a Testaccio!

I have a home!  After living out of and lugging around my suitcases for what seemed like forever, I have unpacked and settled into my apartment in Testaccio!  The neighborhood is great--there is a farmer's market 1 block away, countless delicious looking food shops and apparently TONS of great restaurants.

My flat mate is a super sweet Italian girl who says that she moved into this apartment, passed to her by friends, because every time a female friend moved in here...she got married a few months later!  A good luck charm of sorts.  Not sure how I feel about that...

After getting settled, I went shopping at the supermarket for a few things and caused check out line chaos because I didn't weigh and tag my fruit in the fruit department (oops).  I will learn soon, I hope...

My room. 

The view from my balcony!

More view...

The neighborhood. 

My street. 

More of Via Aldo Manuzio.

Ciao Ciao!

Navona e Campo

Buona Sera!

I have survived my first week in Rome!  Everyday seemingly brought a new challenge--getting lost looking for apartments, losing my map and then REALLY being lost, trying to buy a telephonini from a non-English speaking clerk, getting lost AGAIN--but, overall it was a great first week.  I had my first great Italian meal of suplè, carbonara and Lazio wine with new friends, ate more gelato and found a great apartment!

Also, I spent today doing a little more exploring in the neighborhoods of Navona and Campo.  They are considered to be very traditional Roman neighborhoods--lots of little winding streets and cobble stones, loooottsss of cobble stones. Yes, my feet hurt tonight.  I saw the Pantheon, countless piazzas, and fountains including the gorgeous Bernini sculpture Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi.

The pantheon.  I was sitting at the fountain eating gelato (I fear to think of how many sentences are going to start like that..) when this Italian guy sits down and starts singing Wham "Last Christmas" with an Italian accent--amazing. 

Piazza Navano

Bernini's Fontana de Quattro Fiumi in the Piazza Navona. 

Campo de' Fiori

I took a people watching/lunch break at Obika mozarella bar in Campo de' Fiori. 

Ponte Umberto

I move into my new apartment in Testaccio tomorrow, I will post pictures soon!

Ciao Ciao!